Closure of a long legal case
French director Luc Besson, author of great films such as The big blue, Lion, The fifth element OR Giovanna D’Arco, has not spoken publicly since 2018 and the filing of a rape and sexual assault complaint by Belgian-Dutch actress Sand Van Roy. After an initial filing of the case, a new complaint was filed in 2019 with referral to the investigating judge. At the end of these instructions, a dismissal was pronounced in December 2021 in favor of Luc Besson. After an appeal in 2022, which upheld the dismissal order, Sand Van Roy and her attorney filed a cassation appeal. A year later, in June 2023, the highest court of the French judicial system definitively rejected the appeal and therefore the accusation of rape.
Having definitively turned this page, Luc Besson has therefore put an end to five years of silence. Five years during which he will have worked little and in the shadows. His movie Annareleased in 2019, it was filmed at the end of 2017. Under the EuropaCorp banner the films are released Eve, Taxis 5, Kursk and the denigrated Arthur, damn it, killed during confinement. With the exception of the latter, they were all also produced in 2017. For the first time the director, producer and screenwriter spoke about these five years.
Justice against media tribunal
So expressed Luc Besson on the pages of Paris Match, when he made a much publicized return the presentation in competition at the 80th Venice Film Festival and premiered at the Deauville American Film Festival his new production, DogMan. For him, the case is now closed.
Based on all the information gathered, a judge decided not to indict me in 2019. Another judge issued a dismissal order in 2021. A third judge upheld this decision on appeal in 2022 and finally the highest French court rejected the appeal in cassation last June . We can talk about relentlessness, but justice did its job and found me not guilty four times. The case is therefore closed.
Luc Besson assures him that he has faith justice, the only institution able to pronounce itself on what it has been accused of. Then continue:
It’s hard to defend yourself when you’re accused of a crime you didn’t commit. The only solution is to go to court. For five years, I followed an extremely complicated and precise process. I have seen people work diligently and tirelessly to gather evidence and find the truth. Justice is not perfect, but it is irreplaceable.
Where it takes a tougher stance, however, is with regards to the media coverage of the case. And social networks. Speaking not only on his behalf but including all those involved in such cases, defendants, plaintiffs and victims, he states:
It is an ogre that devours everything and must be constantly fed, in order for it to burn, click and tweet. The cause doesn’t matter, as long as it’s flammable. The media fabric is a giant puddle of petrol where anyone can throw a match. It’s a show and it brings money, but it doesn’t protect the victims. It is absolutely necessary to separate this system from that of justice. (…) The victims, like the plaintiffs, who were thrust into the light of the media ended up burned and forgotten. The media machine is a volcano that has nothing to do with its ashes.
Source: Cine Serie
Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.
